Halcyon Days
by johannahpastor
Summary: A series of unrelated one shots about Lady Kenna and Sebastian de Poitiers and their growing romance.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey guys! Mid-year exams are coming up next week, so I won't be able to update my first story, ****_Start of Something New_****, as often as I would like. However, I do have a collection of unrelated Kennash one shots I write in my spare time, and these are just scenarios that I've thought up for my first story but haven't really utilized. Hope you enjoy! xx**

"Bash." Kenna's voice dripped with desire as Sebastian peppered her neck with soft kisses. She was just stopping by their chambers to inform a half-naked Bash sitting on their bed that the feast was about to begin when he pulled her down to his lap, his hands firmly gripping her waist.

When he responded with more kisses, she tried again, "Bash."

But in turn, Sebastian kissed down to her collarbone with great urgency, and when Kenna pulled on his hair he finally said, "What?"

"Guests are starting to arrive, we need to be down at the great halls soon. What kind of family are we to Mary and Francis that we don't congratulate them on their matrimony?"

"Just a few more minutes."

Kenna brought his face up to hers and caught his lips in a fervent kiss. He moaned into her mouth but when he tried to deepen it, she pulled away.

"Your minutes are up," she smirked at his disbelieving expression, "Come on, let's go."

Bash pouted but relaxed his grip on Kenna as she got off him. "Can't a man just have some time alone with his wife?"

She pulled him up to her and raked her hands up and down his muscular chest, "You have all the time in the world. But now you have to get dressed."

His eyes darkened as he firmly held her hands, "Stop that."

Kenna smirked at the effect she had on him. She leaned forward and breathed on his neck, "Stop what?" biting back a smile as he lightly shivered.

In a split second, he had her pinned down to the bed with her arms trapped under his. "Keep that up and we'll never make it to the feast."

All thoughts about the feast were irrelevant to her as of that moment, "What feast?"

He smiled maliciously at her and got up to don a shirt, "Why, Francis and Mary's celebratory feast of course! As you duly reminded me earlier."

She groaned in frustration. "You're insufferable."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: This oneshot I envisioned to be the day after their first time. I honestly loved everything about that episode, that was the moment I shipped Kennash forever. This one's more...raunchy than my other story, but I hope you liked this xx**

Kenna woke up with an unfamiliar warmth in her chest as she felt Bash's arm wrapped around her waist. She turned to face him and ran her index finger all over his face, memorising his features. She had come to know his every expression; from the way his brows furrowed in frustration to how his jaw clicked when he was angry.

She smiled as he opened his eyes and slowly adjusted to the sunlight. He breathed in deeply and smiled back as he saw her face, which was illuminated by the sun peeking through their windows.

"Good morning, wife."

She hummed in bliss as he emphasized in calling her his wife. She had never felt like she truly belonged to someone before, and despite how their marriage came about, everything felt right with Bash.

"And to you, husband."

She rolled him over so she was sat on top of him. Leaning forward, she kissed him softly.

"And what is the Master of Horse and Hunt up to today?"

He grinned and gripped her legs on either side of him, "He was thinking of spending it with his lovely wife. Do you think she'll like that?" In a split second, he flipped them over so that he was hovering over her.

"Oh, I don't know. What did he plan to do in mind?" She placed her hands on the nape of his neck and brought him closer for a kiss.

"He was thinking of doing this," he kissed her neck down to her breast bone ever so slowly that Kenna was reduced to soft moans and repeated his name over and over.

When he suddenly stopped, Kenna whined, "I think he can do better than that."

Bash grinned at his wife's impatience as his hand slid down her figure. His hand lingered just above where she desperately wanted to be touched and said, "How about now?"

She inched her face to his as she whispered coyly, "She would definitely like that." Before kissing him hard on the mouth.


	3. Chapter 3 - Part 1

"I'm going to..." Bash whispered scandalous sayings into Kenna's ear with his hot breath, rendering her to blush a deep red and her jaw to drop in shock. The hairs on her neck stood up as he pulled back. He resumed decorating the pillars around the great hall, trying to hide his smirk and acting like nothing happened.

Kenna took a moment to gather her thoughts and walked over to Greer, "I can't lose this bet, Greer!" she said hysterically. "I don't very much want to go spend a day tending to horses!"

Greer recoiled back, "What on earth are you talking about?"

She looked guilty as she explained, "Well..."

_Kenna was lounging in her and Bash's sitting area when there was an abrupt knock on their door and a loud voice said, "Sebastian de Poitiers, Master of Horse and Hunt, has returned, Lady Kenna."_

_"Bash!" Kenna jumped up from her seat to run to the doors. It had been a week since Bash had last been home, tirelessly hunting the Darkness in the Bloodwood. Kenna couldn't remember a moment when she wasn't worried about her husband's wellbeing. He was rarely at home for the past few months, and on the off chance he was, he had little energy to ride out with Kenna to their favourite picnic spot outside the castle grounds. She had not expected him to return so soon, he had sent a note earlier that he wouldn't be back until tomorrow evening. Needless to say, she was anxious and filled with joy that at last, he was back. _

_She was greeted with an equally happy Bash as he met her halfway in the middle of their chambers. Enveloping her in his arms, he sighed deeply in content. "I've missed you."_

_She hugged him back tighter and ran her fingers through his hair. She couldn't believe he was actually back, and looking well. "I missed you too. So much that you can't even imagine."_

_He smiled at her words and cupped her face with his hands. "I think I can." He breathed out before closing the gap between them and kissed her._

_Immediately, a spark ignited in Kenna and she responded enthusiastically, making Bash groan and slide his hands down to her waist. _

_She fastened her hands around her neck and brought him even closer to her, she felt the space between her and her husband was too far, even though their chests were colliding and they could feel their chests rise and fall with every breath. _

_Kenna was completely unaware of anything that was happening around them as Bash started to unlace her skirt, and she was about to unbutton his doublet when they were interrupted by an awkward cough._

_"Sorry." _

_Bash sighed in frustration and kissed her once more before hastily lacing up her skirt again and smoothing out his shirt. He turned around and his eyes widened at their guest. "Brother!"_

_Dauphin Francis smirked as Kenna desperately tried to hide the blush creeping on her cheeks. She groaned in embarrassment and hid behind her husband as she exclaimed, "Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry you had to see us like this, Your Grace." _

_The brothers laughed good-naturedly and Bash put his arm around Kenna and kissed the top of her head, "It's alright, Kenna, I don't think he minds."_

_Francis winked at the couple, "Don't fret, Lady Kenna, I've seen you two in more...compromising positions."_

_Kenna gasped, "Your Grace!" _

_Bash rubbed circles on Kenna's waist with his thumb as he said uneasily, "I don't think this is something my wife and I are comfortable talking about with you...yet." His last addition earned him a light slap from his wife. "Why are you here anyway?"_

_The Dauphin smiled, "Oh, that's right! Now that you're back, and Kenna isn't wallowing around waiting for you, Mary and I wanted to see if you could lend us a hand in decorating the great hall for tonight's feast. There's not enough servants to do everything mother wants perfected by sunset."_

_Bash whined, "I just returned back from another fruitless hunt for the Darkness. I haven't seen my wife in weeks, do I really have to?"_

_Kenna grabbed Bash's hands and batted her eyelashes, knowing he wouldn't be able to resist. "Come on, Bash. It's only for a few hours, and Francis is right. Queen Catherine won't be happy until the place is perfect. Please?" _

_Bash closed his eyes and sighed. He looked at his brother and said, "Fine. We'll help."_

_Francis said, "Splendid! I'll see you down at the halls soon." Nodding at the couple, he left their chambers and closed the doors behind him. _

_As soon as Francis left, Bash told his wife in mock annoyance, "This is the first time I'm back home for weeks and you've signed us up to help decorate for tonight's feast? What happened to you wallowing in sorrow waiting for me to return?"_

_Kenna shoved him lightly, "I was not wallowing in sorrow!"_

_ "I bet you can't even last this whole afternoon without wanting to kiss me." Bash said confidently._

_Kenna scoffed, "I bet I can, and if I recall, you were the one who kissed me with so much vigour!" _

_"I was caught up in the moment!" _

_"Oh, please, you missed me." She rolled her eyes._

_"Well, excuse me for missing my lovely wife."_

_"Fine, if I win, you have to spend a week with me. No hunting for the Darkness with Nostradamus, no sparring with Francis. Just us two."_

_"Deal," Bash nodded, "and how about if I win?"_

_"There's no way you'll be able to resist me!" _

_"Don't get ahead of yourself, darling. If I win, you have to...spend a week at the stables with me."_

_"What?! No way!"_

_"As the Lady of Horse and Hunt, you have to learn how to tend to horses."_

_"If I win, I don't have to."_

_"You're on. This starts now."_

**A/N: Thanks so much for the follows for this story, guys! This chapter is Part 1 of 2 of this specific plotline. I thought it'd be much shorter, but I just kept writing and it ended up being so long, I just had to split it into two parts. Hope you guys enjoyed this xx**


	4. Chapter 3 - Part 2

As Kenna finished explaining to Greer, she could see her friend shaking her head, "Oh, Kenna, what have you gotten yourself into?"

"I don't know Greer, but I'm surprised at his resilience! Nothing I do affects him at all!"

"Just use your body to your advantage. He won't be able to stay away much longer if you do." Greer suggested as she turned to leave.

"Greer, that's brilliant! Thank you!" She hugged her friend and grabbed some more streamers to hang from the pillars.

Kenna looked around the halls for her husband. She spotted him bent over, getting some more decorations and she smiled to herself. She tugged her dress down from her shoulders, low enough for Bash to get distracted by but not too low that she would be exposed to the whole castle.

_Game on, husband._ She thought to herself. Smiling maliciously, she yelled out from across the empty halls, "Bash! Can you please help me hang these up?"

She can't help but want to dance in victory as he freezes in his tracks the moment he looks up at her, almost dropping the streamers in his hands as he does so. It takes him a while to formulate a coherent response. "Um, yeah. Sure."

He walked over to the pillars at the other end of the halls to where she was standing. He stopped just a few steps away from her, as if she had the plague and he didn't want to be affected by it. In truth, Kenna had him right where she wanted him. Her plan was well and truly working. She saw the way her husband's eyes darkened as he looked her up and down and beamed. She knew she was right, he would not be able to resist her.

"Are you alright, Bash?" she smiled coyly at him, "You seem a little...unnerved." her smile widened as he visibly swallowed.

"Yeah, I'm fine." He said in a tight voice. "Where do you want those to be hung up?" He motioned to the streamers which she hugged in her chest.

She purposely dropped the streamers to the ground, and bent over in front of him to pick it up, exposing the top of her chest to him. "Silly me." She said in a knowing tone.

When she gathered the streamers back into her arms, she acted nonchalant, "Well, actually I wanted you to-oh!"

She was cut off with Bash's lips on hers as he pushed her against the pillar roughly. She responded in kind and wrapped her hands around his neck to bring him even closer. It seemed like forever until she pulled back slightly and muttered against his lips, "I win."

He brought his hands to her waist and lifted her up. She wrapped her legs around him and kissed him hard on the mouth.

He smiled as he kissed her with even more passion. He kissed down from her jaw up to her ear, "I get to spend a week with my beautiful wife without worrying about the Darkness or any other responsibilities that I have. I guess we both win."

**A/N: Thank you to user andalusa! That is such a wonderful compliment! If you have any prompts and suggestions, please send me a message or leave it in the form of a review. Hope you enjoyed part 2 of this story guys xx **


	5. Chapter 4

_The morning after Kenna winning the bet..._

She was in the middle of a good dream when it was interrupted by a faint voice, "Kenna, wake up."

She groaned at whoever disrupted her from a peaceful sleep. Inwardly cursing, she tossed and turned and tried to settle back into her dream when the voice spoke again.

"Darling, get up." She recognized the sound of her husband's voice. She smiled at the familiarity and security his voice gave her, but even for her husband, she won't get up from the soft sheets.

She heard him sigh and she figured it would be the end of his attempts to coax her out of their bed. But then he suddenly tickled her sides, and she laughed so much that she jumped out of bed and covered her naked body with their sheets. "Bash!" she said in delight.

He grinned, "That got you up, didn't it?"

Kenna shook her head and she looked out the window. The sun hadn't even risen and she was surprised that her husband had managed to wake her up without being yelled at.

She looked back at him with tired eyes, "It's too early. I need sleep."

"That's not what you said last night when we were..."

"I know what I said." Kenna cut Bash off. She was ecstatic that her husband was back home, and after she won their bet, she couldn't help but show him just how much she had missed him. "And from what I remember, you weren't complaining either."

"What's there to complain about?" Bash smiled cheekily at her.

"The sun's not up yet, wake me up later." She climbed back into their bed and snuggled herself into Bash's side.

He breathed in deeply as he kissed her ear. "Perhaps I can keep you occupied until sunrise."

She laughed softly, "I'd like to see you try."

"Well, if you insist..." his hands made their way under the covers which hid her body and travelled up and down her body.

She turned to face him to swat his hands away playfully and kissed his jaw. "You have me all to yourself for the whole week, Bash. Sleep."

He smiled, "As you wish, wife." He showered kisses all over her face and neck slowly until she fell back to sleep.

* * *

Kenna woke up to the sight of her husband sitting in front of their dresser with shaving cream all over his face. She remembered telling him that his shaving mirror was useless. It felt like a lifetime ago when the King had Bash at sword point, forcing him to say the words which would eventually bind her and Bash in holy matrimony. She had forgotten about the foundations of their marriage – Bash being in love with Mary, Queen of Scots and not harbouring even the slightest feelings for his father's fallen mistress, and Kenna, ruining her reputation as the Queen's lady-in-waiting to be given even the slightest bit of affection from the King.

"You're awake!" Bash smiled at her, his jaw and neck smothered with shaving cream. "I was wondering when you'd be up. I brought you breakfast," he nudged to the silver tray on the dresser next to their bed, "well, technically it's lunch now."

Kenna smiled gratefully at her husband as she put on her nightgown that was discarded on the floor from the night before. He always went the extra mile to make her feel cared for. "Thank you, Bash. But there really was no need."

He wiped his face clean as he arched an eyebrow, "You didn't have much to eat last night since we..."

They were interrupted by the loud grumbling of Kenna's stomach. She threw the covers over her face to hide her blush from her chuckling husband, "Alright, alright. What's for late-breakfast?"

"I wasn't sure what you'd want to eat, so I requested for smoked salmon, brie, bread and a variety of fruits."

"That all sounds delicious," she sat up and grabbed the tray off the dresser to assemble her lunch, "would you like some?"

Bash nodded, "Smoked salmon on bread with a few slices of cheese, thanks."

"Have you eaten at all today?" Kenna asked quizzically.

"No, I waited for you to get up so we could start the day together, but you looked so peaceful sleeping, I didn't want to wake you up. Besides, I tried that earlier today and you nearly yelled at me." He looked pointedly at her as he got up to take his lunch from Kenna's outstretched hands.

"I wasn't even going to yell at you!" she said indignantly.

"I'd rather not risk it. Anyway, I had time to clean myself up after being on the hunt for so long."

Kenna hummed in approval as she took in the sight of her husband's well-toned body. Since the first day she saw him, she had always appreciated his built, but now they were married, she was glad she was the only woman who would know what it feels like to feel his skin against hers.

She knew she was staring at him a moment too long when he asked uneasily, "What? What is it?" He swallowed the last bit of his sandwich and shifted under his wife's gaze.

"Can't a woman just look at her husband without being asked questions?"

"Sure she can, but her husband wants to know what his wife thinks of him." He asked teasingly.

"Hm," she paused for effect, "I don't know...he's not too bad looking, I guess." She bit her lips in an effort to hold back a smile, but it seemed Bash took it personally.

He raised both eyebrows at her in derision. "Not too bad looking? Are you serious?"

"You dolt, of course not." She rolled her eyes at his cluelessness, "Ever since I first saw you, I thought you were one of the most handsome men in all of France."

He winked at her, "Oh, really?"

"Don't get too cocky, husband dearest."

"My darling wife should consider herself lucky being married to, and I quote her on this one, 'one of the most handsome men in all of France'."

"I shouldn't have said that then." She held her head high and turned to the side to face the windows.

"Hey," he climbed on the bed and hooked a finger under Kenna's jaw to face him, "you should know that one of the most handsome men in all of France is eternally grateful to be married to a woman of ethereal and celestial beauty such as yourself."

"You don't really think that," she avoided his gaze, trying not to let tears form; "I'm not nearly as beautiful as Queen Mary, nor good enough, for that matter. I was just one of your father's mistresses, nothing more."

"Kenna," his voice softened and he grabbed her face with both hands and looked into her eyes, "true, you're not a Queen. You may think so lowly of yourself because of my father, but to me, you are breathtaking. You're infinitely good enough, too good that sometimes I question myself why I didn't care for you when we first got married. You are my wife. And I will cherish you until the day I die. Believe me when I say that."

She couldn't help but let the tears fall at her husband's words. She murmured a gentle, "Bash..." before leaning forward and capturing his lips with hers.

**A/N: It's been a long while since I updated this series! I only have two more exams to go, and then I'll be updating this story and ****_Start of Something New_**** more frequently. Hope you liked this chapter guys, the next seven chapters will be the week of Bash and Kenna's time alone since Bash lost the bet xx Please feel free to leave some prompts and suggestions for the next chapters, it can be as fluffy or as steamy as you like :-)**


	6. Chapter 5

_Day 1 of Bash and Kenna's week alone (a continuation from The Bet) _

"Bash! Where are we going?" Kenna yelled in delight as she caught up with her husband on her horse. Bash had told her nothing of what he had planned for them both today. He had mysteriously asked her to get on her horse and follow him, and it had been almost a good hour since they left French Court.

"It's a surprise, come on, we're almost there." He directed his horse to turn to the right and Kenna followed suit, taking in the beginnings of what looked like a small village.

Soon, Bash slowed his horse to a stop just before a small barn next to a rustic inn and motioned for Kenna to do the same. He got off his horse and helped Kenna to get off hers, holding her up by the waist and lowering her down gently on the ground.

"Thank you," she kissed her husband's cheek. "Bash, where are we?"

He kept his hands on her waist as he looked at the aging structures around him with a smile on his face. "My mother and I, we used to come here all the time." He said fondly. "Every moment I spent in this village was something I treasured, and now, I can share it all with my wife."

Kenna felt tears beginning to form as she leaned her forehead against her husband's. "Bash, that's..."

"What a lovely morning for a beautiful couple!" a throaty voice called out from behind them.

Bash turned around and waved at the old man walking towards them, "Nicolas! I was wondering if my note had gotten here in time."

"It bloody did, in the middle of the night, I tell you! You're lucky I care for you like a son, Bash. Or I would've shot your request to hell. Well, not really, but you know, an old man like me running around trying to clean the place up. It's hard work." Nicolas huffed as he smiled at Bash.

It wasn't until Bash moved slightly to his side that he noticed Kenna, "And who might this gorgeous maiden be?"

Kenna cleared her throat, "Kenna, monsieur Nicolas."

"What a beautiful name for a beautiful lady." Nicolas smiled warmly at Kenna as he took her hand and kissed it.

"Careful, Nicolas," Bash said teasingly as he hugged Kenna from behind and leaned his head on her shoulder, "that's my wife you're flirting with."

Nicolas gasped and looked at Bash, to Kenna and back to Bash again, "Heavens above, she's your wife?" He gasped louder as he saw Kenna's head nod in affirmation, "Good God, I knew you would marry a pretty lady, Bash, but never did I expect you to marry such a stunning young woman!"

"Please, monsieur Nicolas." Kenna blushed at the old man's words. She wasn't used to being praised by other people, not when she was just a Queen's lady-in-waiting. Bash immediately knew how she was feeling and responded by hugging her tighter.

Bash kissed his wife's shoulder and looked at the old man, "Is the room ready, or shall we wait a little longer?"

"I just did some last minute preparations. Speaking of which, I have good news. The long-term guests have just moved to Bernay to be with family, so you have the inn all to yourselves. There are servants to help with preparing the food and cleaning up, although it's not much. Your lady will find it's much simpler than French Court, but I bid you two a wonderful stay." He bowed to the couple and collected their horses. "These two will be in the barn, Bash. I'll look after them for the duration of your stay here."

Bash nodded at him and let go of his hold on Kenna, "The carriage with all our belongings should arrive soon. But in the meantime, I'll show you around the house. Come on." He grabbed her hand and made their way to their home for the week.

"I like him, monsieur Nicolas I mean. He seems like a kind man." Kenna looked as monsieur Nicolas led their horses into the small barn and untied the saddles off their backs.

"He was more of a father figure to me than the King. Figures, I'm just his bastard son. I wouldn't be able to take up kingly duties like Francis can, even if I was firstborn. That's all that matters." Bash snorted.

"Bash."

"It's true though, isn't it? Bastards don't have a place in French Court." His words made Kenna let go of his hand and stop just in front of the door to the inn.

"Sebastian de Poitiers!" she snapped. "You listen to me. If I can't feel insecure because of my reputation at French Court, then you, of all people, shouldn't feel worthless because of your birth." She lowered her voice as her husband cowered back. "You are my husband. Who cares if you don't belong in French Court? Your place is with me, now and forever. And I don't care if you don't want to be stuck with me for the rest of your life. You're enough for me, even if you don't think so."

Kenna breathed deeply as she let her words sink in and take full effect. She was anxious for her husband's response. She knows he cares for her, and she cares for him just as much, but Kenna practically screamed that she loved him, and she wasn't ready for the inevitable – Bash saying he still loved Mary, and that he may never come to love his wife the way he loves his Queen.

He looked at her with such intensity that she couldn't bear to look at him and hear the words that would soon escape his mouth, but then he put his hands on her cheeks and kissed her so passionately that it drew all the breath from Kenna's body.

When he finally pulled away, she was in pure bliss. His response wasn't quite a declaration of his love for her, but it wasn't a testimony to his love for Mary either. "How did I manage to be wed to such an incredible woman like you, Kenna?" he asked quietly, as if he was talking to himself.

She kissed him one more time for good measure and smiled up at him. "You have the King to thank for that. Maybe being the King's bastard has its advantages, doesn't it?"

"How so?" he smiled back at her.

"Well, you got married to a woman of noble birth, for one. Isn't that enough?"

"Now that I have you? It's more than enough." He wrapped his arms around her and held her close.

She pulled back slightly and reached out to cup his cheek. "Shall we enter our home for the week, husband?" He nodded back at her and Kenna opened the door. She was about to step in when Bash suddenly scooped her into his arms and carried her over the threshold, a proud smile on his face.

"What was that for?" she laughed.

He beamed at her and kicked the door close. "It's a tradition for the groom to carry his bride over the entrance of their home." He kissed the top of her head and set her down.

"We've been married more than half a year now, and this isn't even our home." She looked at him questioningly.

"Our home won't be ready for at least another month, and I just really wanted to do it." He said cheekily, to which Kenna responded with a poke of her tongue.

* * *

"And this is the room I'd stay in whenever the guests' children and I play hide-and-seek. They could never find me in here, they always thought I hid under the bed and when I wasn't there, they'd run off to find me elsewhere."

"Where do you hide?" she stepped into the room, and was perplexed at the few good hiding spots a child could stay in and not be found.

He followed suit and pointed to a small closet at the corner of the room. "In there. I was never afraid of the dark, so I'd shut the door and stay there until they left. I only got caught once, but they never realized this room would be my only hiding spot. Although, I always find them whenever I'm it, I guess I was just too good at it."

"Let's play hide-and-seek. Right now."

"What?" He looked at her with an expression of disbelief. "My wife, a noblewoman and a Queen's lady-in-waiting, wants to play hide-and-seek?"

"I want to see how good your seeking skills are at this game. As the Master of Horse and Hunt, I'm certain you have excellent skills." Kenna grinned at him.

He smiled at her devilishly, "Alright. I'll count up to thirty." He closed his eyes and turned to the wall. "One...two..."

Kenna hastily left the room and ran around the house, desperately trying to find a hiding spot even her husband with acute hunting skills couldn't find. She paced down the halls until she walked past a room with the door slightly ajar.

"Ready or not Kenna, here I come!" Bash shouted from the top of the stairs.

In a state of panic, she slipped inside the room. Inspecting her surroundings for a few moments, she opted to stash herself inside the wardrobe near the windows, not bothering to fully shut its doors in case Bash hears the sound of creaking wood.

Barely five minutes have passed until she heard heavy footsteps enter the room she was hiding in. "Kenna?" Bash's voice was becoming louder and clearer with every passing moment. "Are you in here? I know you are."

She put her hand over her mouth to stop her breath from coming out, which she knew was loud enough for Bash to hear.

"Hm, I guess not." She heard his steps walk towards the door and out of the room. "Kenna!" he shouted down the halls.

Once she was sure he wasn't in the vicinity, she exited the stuffy wardrobe and slowly made her way to the halls outside. She poked her head out and looked both ways, in case Bash was coming her way. She breathed a sigh of relief and walked out confidently until strong arms were wrapped around her waist and lips kissed up and down her neck and shoulder.

"Found you."

She jumped in surprise and turned to a grinning Bash. "You nearly frightened me to death!"

"One tip, Kenna: never come out of your hiding spot until the seeker gives up."

"I guess those hunting skills came in handy, didn't they?"

"I guess they did, seeing as I won." He inched his face towards Kenna and looked down at her mouth.

"Technically, you didn't find me, since I walked out and practically gave myself away." She teased.

"Keep telling yourself that, but I still maintain I won." He leaned even closer.

"Whatever you say, husband." She winked at him and closed the gap between them.

**A/N: This was a pretty long chapter, and I'm really happy at how it turned out! Final exam is tomorrow guys, I cannot believe I'm already halfway through Year 11, it's crazy! Oh, and please do send in some prompts and suggestions for the next few chapters. As always, hope you enjoyed this! xx**


	7. Chapter 6 - Part 1

**A/N: So thankful for the favourites and follows, guys! I'm glad you like this series just as much as I do! Thank you to user kerrychristine for such a lovely review, as well as to user Hayley for your suggestion! Exams weren't as bad as I thought, but really, I'm just glad school is over for the time being. And yes, I do wish for a 'Bash' in my life, but sadly, that's all it will ever be, a wish :( *sigh* I've split this chapter into two parts since it took a turn to the left by the end. Hope you enjoyed this! xx**

_Day 2_

Kenna rummaged through her wardrobe, trying to look for the perfect dress for her outing with her husband today. She picked out potential dresses and threw them on their bed and nearly screamed in frustration. Although she packed more dresses than what she actually needed for a week's worth of stay, she felt like she packed too little. She picked one dress after the other and held it up against her body in front of the full-length mirror next to the wardrobe and frowned at almost every single one of them. She had finally narrowed it down to two choices when Bash called out from the bottom of the stairs.

"Kenna, are you ready?"

"I'm dressing!" she yelled back. She looked between her two options and sighed, they were her two favourite dresses, and if she thought deciding before was hard, this was impossible.

"You said that nearly half an hour ago!"

"Excuse me for wanting to look my best!" she wanted to throw a brick at her husband for being so impatient.

"I've asked Nicolas to arrange for a carriage to take us around the village, and it'll be here soon, so I advise you to hurry it up." she could imagine Bash pacing down the lounge of the inn, rubbing his temples as he waited for her and she smiled.

She decided on an embroidered dress with an antique ivory lace bodice and a rich, garnet pleated velvet skirt over a ruffled tulle underlay her aunt had sent her from England. She wore her hair in loose curls to cover her partly exposed back and topped it off with a golden diadem appliqued with diamonds on her head.

She stopped at the top of the stairs and took a deep breath as she made her way down, wanting to see the look on her husband's face after he hurried her in getting ready. The sound of her shoes on the wooden stairs made Bash revert his attention to his wife.

"Wow..."

He did not disappoint as he stopped pacing to look at Kenna descending the stairs like a Queen, his jaw dropping in awe. Kenna bit back a wide smile and pretended not to notice her husband's reaction as she slowly stepped down the stairs, walking gracefully and effortlessly, the material of her skirt flowing with every movement.

When she reached him, she twirled around for him to inspect her attire and she asked, "How do I look?" Kenna swore she heard Bash's breath catch in his throat as she did so.

Looking at his wife up and down, Bash answered, "You look...wow, Kenna, you look...wow..." He wanted to slap himself for being unable to form a coherent response to a simple enough question, but he couldn't find words that could describe how radiant she looked.

She laughed, "I do hope you mean that in a good way."

He reached for her hands and looked into her warm, brown eyes "Trust me, I do."

She smiled into his mouth as she closed the distance between them and Bash's response is instantaneous as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer to him. He wanted her, all of her, and at that moment, he could care less about the carriage and their trip around the village. But it seemed timing was not their friend today as a loud voice bellowed out, "Bash, your carriage is here!"

Bash decided to ignore the call and continued kissing his wife, and it would have been perfectly alright had they not been interrupted by successive knocks on their front door. "Bash, you woke me up from a peaceful sleep to ask for me to arrange this carriage, I'll be damned if I have to send it back." He recognized Nicolas' voice and kissed his wife with more urgency.

After a few moments, he pulled back from Kenna, but she kissed him once more and bit his lower lip before stepping away from him. Bash grunted in frustration; as if her just standing in front of him wasn't maddening enough, she does that.

She smiled up at him, "Let's go, I don't want to upset Nicolas."

"Oh, yes," the lilt at the end reflected his sulky mood, "We wouldn't want that."

Kenna rolled her eyes, "Don't be so sullen, darling, it's not a good look for you."

He placed an arm around her waist as they walked out their door, "Yes, yes, whatever."

Nicolas opened the carriage doors for the couple as they exited the inn and approached the carriage. He bowed to them, took hold of Kenna's hand and kissed it, "Lady Kenna, you look lovely as ever."

Kenna noticed Bash's hold on her tighten at Nicolas' words, and she smiled despite of herself. The carriage moved to a slow start, and once they settled next to each other inside the carriage, Bash whispered into her ear, "Saying you look lovely doesn't do you much justice."

"Oh, really?" she teased her husband, "How would you say I look today, then?"

He kissed her ear and down her neck slowly, breathing in her intoxicating scent, "There aren't enough words from every language in the world to describe your beauty, Kenna."

For a moment, Kenna forgot that their marriage was not based on love, but of fear and manipulation on the King's behalf. It's times like these where she could pretend Bash never loved her Queen, and that it was just the two of them from the very start. "Do you say that to everyone?" She recalled Mary's words to him at a feast the year before.

"No," he sucked on a patch of skin just above her collarbone, "just you, my wife."

* * *

They were too distracted with each other to notice that the carriage had halted to a stop, and that the footman was waiting for them outside the carriage, clearing his throat in an effort to get their attention. It was not until he took matters into his own hands and knocked softly on the carriage doors that he heard a muffled, "Bash, I told you not to sit next to me," and a, "Well maybe if you looked like a hag, I wouldn't have" from the pair inside.

The footman held back a strangled laugh as he opened the doors and waited for the couple to step out. He smiled mischievously at Bash and winked at him as Kenna came out with flushed cheeks and smoothed out her skirt, her hair tangled up in a mess.

He closed the doors and chuckled as the Master of Horse and Hunt turned a deep shade of red. The footman recovered as he told Bash, "Monsieur Nicolas has instructed me to pick you and Lady Kenna up from here at mid-afternoon, I hope you two have a splendid day." He bowed to the couple and rode off.

* * *

Bash watched as the carriage drove off and turned to Kenna, "I think the footman has a clue of what we did inside the carriage..."

"Oh, no," Kenna groaned as she covered her face with her hands, "now he's going to think I'm a...demimondaine who can't take my hands off my husband."

Bash took her hands off her face and kissed both of her palms, "Kenna," he held her hands tight in his, "he doesn't and is not going to think that."

"Are you sure?" she looked anxiously at him.

"Positive," he smiled softly, "although, you not being able to take your hands off me is a truthful statement. I don't blame him if he thinks so." He winked at her and beamed when she rolled her eyes at him.

"Says you, you were the one who couldn't wait until we got home to, what was it again? Worship me and show me how beautiful you thought I looked." She smiled playfully as he turned a bright shade of red and cleared his throat.

"You didn't think it was funny when I had you pinned down to the seat and your legs were wrapped around me." He growled into her ear and Kenna gasped at her husband's brazenness.

"Bash!" she put a hand on his chest and placed it over his heart and felt it beat faster under her touch.

He chuckled as he kissed her cheek affectionately, "I'm just saying."


	8. Chapter 6 - Part 2

**A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews, guys! To the guest user, I am starting on the next chapter for 'Start of Something New', and I have to admit, it would take me a while to get back into the story, but I will try to post a few chapters by the end of next week! I'm so sorry you guys, I went on a little trip to Adelaide (South Australia) for a Chinese competition and I had to prepare, so I didn't get much time to write. Please forgive me and my empty promises of posting chapters. Hope you enjoy this xx**

"Something smells awfully delicious," Kenna groaned as she clutched her grumbling stomach as they walked along, "do you mind if we get something to eat?" She looked at her husband who nodded in confirmation.

"No, I was going to suggest we stop at the bakery first, anyway." Bash turned and smiled at her. He held her hand tight in his as he dragged her in front of a bleak and worn-down bakery, a sign which faintly read 'Lea's' hung crooked on the door.

"They have the best pastries in all of France, I can tell you that much." He beamed at her as he opened the door and led her in.

"Is that why Francis always says that you were such a stout little boy? Because you were stuffing yourself with pastries from here?" Kenna teased.

"No!" Bash replied too quickly. "I'm going to have a talk with my little brother when we get back..." he muttered to himself, but Kenna heard and giggled as she kissed his cheek.

"Don't worry, Bash. You would have been adorable either way."

Bash pouted but said nothing as they walked over to the counter, still hand in hand, and looked at the pastries and breads displayed on the countertop. Kenna's mouth watered as the scent of strawberries wafted through her nose.

"Is someone hungry?" A voice spoke up and broke Kenna from her reverie. She looked up and saw a woman with warm eyes and a kind smile holding up a tray of freshly baked bread.

"A little..." Kenna blushed as she sheepishly admitted, "but I don't know what to have, everything looks so delightful!"

Bash chuckled next to her and kissed the top of her head. He looked at the woman and asked "Could you give us a few of everything you have?"

Both Kenna and the young woman looked incredulously at him. "Really?" They chimed.

"Really." He repeated and nodded at the two women.

The young woman nodded back at him and asked, "No problem, I'll have that ready for you soon. I'm assuming you're eating here? Would you like to take a seat around the ground floor or would you like a private booth upstairs? I know of this one with stunning views of the village..."

Bash and Kenna looked at each other and instantly knew what the other was thinking. "Private booth, please." They said at the same time.

The private booth was located on the upstairs balcony – composed a simple table with a comfortable-sized sofa lounge – which looked over the quiet village, and Kenna could also make out the nearby forest and the outlines of the faraway mountains. She smiled at her surroundings and thanked the woman profusely before running to lean over the ledge. The young woman smiled back warmly at the couple and excused herself to fetch them their pastries.

"Bash, this is beautiful! I just want to stay up here forever!" Kenna gushed at her smiling husband, who walked over to join her and wrapped an arm around her waist.

"Yes, it is, isn't it?" He narrowed his eyes at the scenery before him before pointing a finger at faint structures in the distance, "Is that French Court, do you think?"

Kenna sighed sadly as she cuddled into her husband's side. "God, I hope not. I don't want anyone else to find this place. I want this village to be our little getaway. Just you and I."

"Well," Bash chuckled, "after our week here, we can come back whenever you desire. Just not too often though, I wouldn't want to keep troubling Nicolas."

"I don't think I can get sick of this place, it's too beautiful and wonderful and-"

Bash leaned in to whisper into her ear, "Now you know how I feel whenever you belittle yourself and our marriage."

Kenna gasped softly and looked at her husband, eyes already brimming with tears. "Bash...you...don't really mean that."

He turned her in his arms so he could look into her eyes. "But I do, Kenna, I do." He grabbed her hands and held on to them tightly. "I can never get over the feeling of being with you every time you and I get intimate," Kenna blushed a deep red at that, "I can never tire arguing and bickering with you because I know our little arguments mean nothing. I don't care that the King, _my father_, held me at sword point to marry you. Do you know why?"

By then, tears were already falling down Kenna's face. But despite the tears, she smiled as she shook her head. "No, why?"

"I don't care because, despite how we got together, our marriage-God, Kenna, _you_ turned out to be one of the greatest things that have ever happened to me." He kissed the knuckles on both hands. "I just wanted you to know that, alright?"

Kenna took her hands off his grip and cupped his face. She looked into his bright, blue eyes and saw something in them she had never seen before. "Bash, you are perfect."

He scoffed lightly, "Hardly."

She caressed his cheeks with the pads of her thumbs. "No, you don't understand. You're always looking out for me and making sure I'm alright, you gave me your grandmother's ring, for heaven's sake!" she showed him the modest ring he gave her as a promise to make their marriage work. "Every morning before you leave to go hunting, you always place a flower on your pillow. Do you know how many flowers you've left me? A whole dresser's worth! They're all wilted and disgusting but I keep them anyway because I-because they're from you." She let out a shaky breath. She was so close to telling him that she loved him, and she almost hit herself. _He may care for me, but he will never come to love me_, she repeated to herself over and over.

"So yes, you're perfect. You're the perfect husband and you're a wonderful man, Sebastian de Poitiers."

He said nothing but leaned his forehead against hers as he looked at her with admiration. They stood there relishing each other's presence for what seemed like a lifetime, until the young woman came back, holding several trays of food that Bash had requested.

She smiled widely at the couple and set the trays down on the table. "Would you like me to bring the rest of the trays up? There are about five more."

"This is fine, thank you." Bash smiled back. "Do you mind wrapping the rest of the bread and sweets up? We can bring it back to the inn and share it with Nicolas and the servants." He looked down at Kenna, who kissed his cheek in return.

She mouthed, "Perfect" to her husband, who rolled his eyes in good nature at his wife.

The young woman nodded at Bash, "That's not a problem. It'll be downstairs for you whenever you finish eating. Enjoy, you two." She bowed and left.

Bash dragged Kenna over to the lounge and sat her on his lap. She rested her feet on the arm of the lounge and made herself comfortable in her husband's embrace, sighing contentedly as she did so. "Where shall we begin? They all look so good." She gestured to the pastries, which were still steaming with freshness out of the ovens.

"Try this," Bash grabbed a round puff from the nearest tray, rich, custard oozing out of the pastry, "this was one of my favourites."

He held it out for Kenna, and she took a generous bite, far from the ladylike eating etiquette her mother had taught her back in Scotland. Bash chuckled softly as Kenna licked off the excess custard from her lips, blushing lightly at how ridiculous she thought she looked. She laughed at her husband as he hungrily consumed the rest, leaving a mess of custard around his lips.

"What?" he eyed her curiously. "Do I have custard on my face?"

She nodded. "Yes." She kissed his chin. "Here." She kissed the corner of his mouth. "Here." She looked him in the eyes and said, "And here," before capturing his lips in a fervent kiss.

* * *

For a few hours, that's all the pair did, feeding each other sweets and pastries and stealing kisses while basking under the afternoon sun. They had nearly finished all three trays of patisserie, with Kenna taking the last bite of a strawberry tart and leaning her head on Bash's shoulder.

"So, what did you think?" Bash asked as he traced nonsensical patterns on Kenna's arm.

She lifted her head up and kissed his cheek. "Those were the best pastries I've ever had in my entire life."

"Only the best for my wife." He smiled and kissed the side of her head.

"I like it when you call me that," she smiled back, "your wife."

"Oh, really now?" he turned her in his arms so they directly faced each other. "Well, I guess it's good that we're married, isn't it? I can call you my wife for the rest our lives."

"It doesn't hurt to call me that now..." Kenna hinted as her fingers wove into the hair on the nape of his neck.

"Wife." He kissed her softly. "Wife." He kissed his way down to her neck slowly, covering her sun-bronzed skin with light kisses as her fingers tightened their grip on his hair, her breathing beginning to uneven.

"Mmhm, husband." She managed to breathe out, raking her nails all over his scalp, eliciting a deep groan from him.

"We shouldn't be doing this here, right now, you know." He said in a husky voice.

"No one can see us, and we're not even doing anything," she argued, but nevertheless, she kissed him on the cheek and removed herself from his grip, "But you're right. We should probably head down and collect our pastries, the poor footman must already be waiting for us."

Once they reached the foot of the stairs, the young woman rushed to their side, a large basket in her arms. With outstretched arms, she bowed to the couple as Kenna took it with a smile. "I hope you liked our pastries, to be honest, we were surprised you would even visit our humble bakery. Nicolas had announced the visit of nobles from French Court, and we are so honoured to have you here and enjoy our patisserie. We bid you a lovely stay in our little village, please come back whenever you wish."

Kenna curtsied and moved to kiss the young woman on the cheek, a gesture which surprised both Bash and the woman. "Thank you so much, everything was lovely."

The young woman beamed and spluttered a, "You're welcome!" Before bowing to the couple once more and rushing back to the kitchens.

"What was that for?" Bash mused as he circled an arm around her frame as they exited the bakery. He kissed the top of her head and smiled at her.

Kenna instinctively leaned into his warmth and smiled back, "She was lovely, the food was lovely, everything was just perfect! I really like this village, Bash. Thank you for this." She smiled warmly at the villagers who walked by as they greeted the couple.

He kissed the top of her head again and continued to walk down the footpath. As soon as the carriage was in sight, the footman shaking his head in mock disapproval for their tardiness.

"You know Nicolas is going to be angry because you're late and he has to pay for the time this carriage has been used, don't you?"

Bash looked down at his wife and smiled, "I don't even care."


	9. Chapter 7

**A/N: Haven't updated this story in a while, but I do have a few chapters prepared for you guys! A new chapter for Start of Something New will also be coming up soon! I also have a new story for you all! I know that makes it three stories to regularly update, but let me know what you think, I'm very excited to post new stories for the fandom! Makes waiting until October not so bad :-) Hope you guys enjoy this xx**

_Day 3_

"Bash, Lady Kenna, I have some excellent news." Nicolas clapped his hands and sat down on the lounge.

"What is it, Nicolas?" Kenna asked with wonder in her eyes. She had come to care for old Nicolas, he tended to her and Bash so well.

"I'm hosting a feast here, in this inn, the day after tomorrow! It'll be marvellous! It'll be grand! I've managed to invite Lords and Ladies who are on their way to French Court for a feast Queen Catherine had planned in a few days. You might know some of them, Lady Kenna, they have travelled from as far as Scotland to attend Her Majesty's feast."

"Scotland? Oh yes, I might. As a lady-in-waiting, I have been thoroughly acquainted of all of Scotland's nobility. Perhaps I might still recognize them."

"But Nicolas, what of preparations? We need to clean, cook food, how are we going to manage this?" Bash implored, grasping his wife's hand firmly.

Nicolas guffawed at an anxious Bash, "Bash, I've planned and prepared feasts in less than twelve hours, with great success. This is nothing! And you needn't do much more than help with setting up the receiving hall and cleaning some of the rooms. Can I count on the two of you?"

"Of course!" Kenna spoke for the two of them, but in actuality it was only her that wanted to help out.

Nicolas beamed at the couple and clapped his hands in approval. "Excellent! I'll speak with the kitchen servants and I'll talk to you this afternoon about decorations." He stood up from his spot, kissed Kenna's cheek in appreciation and left.

Once Nicolas was out of sight, Bash looked at Kenna pointedly. "What?" she widened her eyes as he shook his head.

"This is the second time you've volunteered us to help decorate for a feast, and I think you should know I didn't want to do either of them."

"Don't be so rude, Nicolas has been nothing but such a gracious host to us. This is the least we can do to repay him for his kindness."

"Repaying Nicolas could mean gifting him aged wine, giving him a title and vast lands, not offering to decorate the inn for a feast." His mouth curled into a frown and he sighed.

Kenna batted her eyelashes at him, and anticipated that he would give in within a few moments, but Bash steeled his resolve against his wife's womanly antics and shook his head. "You can help, but I'll be in our chambers, taking a nap until the feast starts. Better yet, I'll go take my horse out for a ride and then take a nap."

Kenna was speechless at her husband's response and she dropped her jaw in shock. Swallowing quickly, she took a deep breath – she knew what she had to do. She placed her hands across his chest, and her splayed fingers began tracing nonsensical patterns on his skin. "Come on, Bash. Please?"

"No." He said more forcefully than what he actually felt. His heart was racing at Kenna's touch, and he knew she could feel it, why else would she be smiling like that?

She knew the effect she had on Bash, and this time, she was sure he would give in; he just needed a little push. She leaned forward and placed a soft kiss below his throat, a kiss so soft Bash wasn't even sure if he felt it. "Please." Kenna kissed him again, but this time she sucked a patch of skin just above his collarbone, until she left a light-purple bruise in place of her lips. Bash groaned and held on to Kenna's waist, he shut his eyes in an effort to keep his resolve, but it wouldn't last long if his wife kept that up.

Kenna seemed to have a death wish for him as she kissed up his neck, sucking lightly on his skin, hard enough to make him groan in pleasure, but not too hard that it would leave questionable marks on his neck. She stopped kissing him and looked into his dilated pupils, knowing that she had won this. She made a point of saying "Please," even though they both knew what his answer would be.

"Fine." Bash breathed out, and Kenna exclaimed out words of gratitude before planting her lips on his in a hard kiss. After their kiss, Bash looked at her in wonder. "Why did I agree to do this?"

Kenna laughed loudly and chimed, "Because I'm your wife." Bash rolled his eyes at her words but smiled, nonetheless. How ever did he manage to be wed to such a woman?

* * *

"Kenna, dear, why don't you start tidying up the study? I know it's not a room guests usually like to loiter in, but these are nobles, and I have a variety of literature from all around the world for them to enjoy." Nicolas winked at Kenna good-naturedly and gave her a feather duster, several cloths and a cleaning solution. "If you feel like it's too much, don't worry, I'm sending up Bash to help you."

"I'm sure I'll manage, Nicolas. But thank you." Kenna smiled. She closed the door to the study and muttered to herself, "Bash would rather be doing something else than help me tidy up."

After almost an hour's hard work, she had almost finished dusting the book cases when the door was opened and a voice spoke up, "Oh, I'm terribly sorry, this isn't the bathroom. I hope I didn't disturb you – Kenna?" She turned around at the mention of her name and her eyes widened at the man before her.

"Petyr? Is that you?"

He nodded as he approached her. "Lady Kenna, you look beautiful as ever." Lord Grey exclaimed as he took her hand and kissed it softly.

Kenna laughed with delight as she curtsied. "Always with the compliments, Petyr. You look great! Oh, and please, call me Kenna. How have you been? I haven't spoken with you in so long."

"Oh, you know, the usual. There are some very interesting men in this village, if you know what I mean." She laughed at that. "And how about you? Dear old Nicolas has been regaling me with stories of you and your husband. Is it true? Are you married?"

She nodded. "For more than half a year, actually. Has Nicolas introduced him to you? I'm sure you would have seen him as you came in the house."

Lord Grey shook his head. "No he didn't, come to think of it." Kenna waved her hand in dismissal.

"No matter, I'll show you. He was outside, last I heard from him." Kenna walked to the opened window and spotted her shirtless husband helping Nicolas lift up tables and setting them up outside the inn. "Bash!" she called out, waving to him as she smiled.

Bash stood up straight at the sound of his wife's voice and brushed the hair out of his eyes. It took him a while to find where she was calling out from, as the sun was shining down on him. He blocked the rays from his eyes with one of his hands as he waved back with the other, smiling back at her.

"My, my, he is quite the looker, isn't he?" Lord Grey mused as he and Kenna took in the sight of his body, glistening with sweat under the heat of the sun.

As soon as Bash noticed them staring at him, his brows furrowed and his smile quickly dropped into a frown, which went unnoticed to Kenna's eyes. She smiled once more before closing the windows and turning back to her old friend. She also didn't notice that he was going to make his way inside the inn, to confront her about her male companion.

"You have no idea." She held up a finger and waggled it in a mock warning. "Don't try to make a move on him, alright? He is my husband, after all."

Lord Grey gasped in shock and stumbled back a few steps in exaggeration. "I would never, you know that! But if he gets the wrong idea about you and me, I think you should let him know."

"Are you sure? I mean, I trust Bash with all my heart, but are you willing to divulge such information to a complete stranger?"

"Milady, I trust you with all my heart as well. And I can tell that you and your husband care a lot for each other, so if you trust him, then I do too."

Kenna beamed at him and moved to change the conversation. "How's dear Roslyn, by the way? I trust I'll be seeing her at the feast tomorrow?"

"She's been feeling ill recently. Our best healers have given her herbs and potions to recover, but yes, hopefully by the time the feast begins, she will be able to make an appearance."

"I'm glad," she breathed. "I haven't seen her in a while, please send her my regards if indeed she can't make it to the feast." She smiled at him.

"Of course." He grinned back. "Although, I only ask that you may save me a dance."

"I'll try my best, unless my husband takes all of them." She looked up and beamed at her husband, who had entered the room and approached them with a sullen look.

Lord Grey turned and saw Bash stare at him with contempt. "I'll take that as my cue to leave then." He bowed to Kenna and brushed past Bash, nodding at the Master of Horse and Hunt briefly. Bash merely grunted in acknowledgement and stretched his fingers as he neared his wife, trying not to let his anger show.

"Bash, darling, are you alright?" Her smile dropped as he let out a deep breath the moment Lord Grey exited the study.

"So that's the infamous Lord Petyr Grey Nicolas was talking to me about." He said with inherent disapproval.

"What's the matter?" She stepped towards him and cupped his face with both hands.

"Nothing, everything's fine. I'm just glad Lord Grey now knows where the study is – have you taken him out to the balcony?" He averted his eyes as his wife tried to meet his gaze. "He'll certainly be impressed with the views."

"Sebastian." She said with a stern voice. "Are you jealous?" And despite their situation, she smiled toothily at him. She never would have thought that Bash would become jealous of someone other than him who showed her affection, and she felt giddy seeing him unsuccessfully pretend that Lord Grey didn't bother him.

"What? No, I'm not." He said all too quickly. "I was just concerned that perhaps he was a stranger and that you would be harmed. Yes, that's it." He muttered the rest in a quiet voice. He crinkled his nose and wanted to punch himself for sounding so unconvincing, it sounded so much better in his head until he actually voiced it.

"Bash," her voice softened at the sight of him. "You needn't be jealous of Lord Grey. There is nothing going on between us. I promise you." She kissed him softly. "Look at me."

He sighed deeply and stared into her coffee-brown irises, for he had accepted a long time ago that he really couldn't deny her much. "Petyr is just a friend, alright? Trust me when I say that you are what I want, not Lord Grey, not anyone else, just you. So really, don't be so resentful of him."

He sighed once more and said, "I'll try." That was enough for Kenna to smile and kiss him again and again, their responsibilities to prepare for the feast long forgotten.


	10. Chapter 8

**WARNING: This chapter is rated M for mature content, continue reading at your own discretion :-)**

_Day 5 - The night of Nicolas' feast_

"You are quite the dancer, Petyr. Have you been taking lessons back home? Last I danced with you, you stepped on my feet more than I did stepping on yours." Kenna teased.

Lord Grey gently spun her around and brought her back into his arms, taking great caution not to hold her so tightly, for she was a married woman and he could never look at her in that way. "Years of practice, milady." He beamed. He took a couple of steps back and happened to bump into Bash. "Lord de Poitiers-" he started, but Bash cut him off.

"Lord Grey." He said with a clipped tone. Bash looked at his wife and back to Lord Grey with disdain. "Do you mind if I take my wife? I have some matters that need discussing."

"As you wish, my Lord." He let go of Kenna and bowed to the couple with a flourish. "I hope you two have a fabulous time tonight."

As soon as he was out of earshot, Kenna looked at Bash with disapproving eyes. "Bash, that was incredibly rude."

He glanced behind them and saw Lord Grey conversing with Nicolas. "I don't care."

Bash practically tore his wife away from the feast and refused to let go of her arm until he led her to a crevice behind an abandoned stairway.

He leaned in to whisper into Kenna's ear. "Tell me, Kenna." His voice grew huskier by the minute. "Tell me about Lord Grey. What's so appealing about him? Why do women fawn over him?" He put his hands on her hips and growled, "Why does my wife fawn over him?"

Before Kenna could utter a word, Bash had her pinned against a wall, the stone cold against her back.

"Bash!" Kenna managed to gasp out as his hips ground into hers. She threw her head back on the wall and held on tight to his arms.

"What does he have that I don't?" He continued to grind into Kenna, and it took it all she had not to go wild – her strangled moans and lidded eyes were an attestation to that.

Kenna's eyes darkened with desire as she looked up at her husband. This was a side of Bash she had never seen before, and she was exhilarated at the prospect of a jealous Bash.

"Well," it took a while for her to form a coherent sentence, especially since Bash's breath mingled with hers, and she could smell his woodsy scent that she had come to love so much at their close proximity. "He's charming..."

"Oh?" He took her hands in one of his and raised it above her head, while the other slowly trailed down her figure in a torturously slow manner, his fingers leaving a trail of fire in place of his soft touch.

"He's also very skilled with his hands, I heard." She arched her back and pressed her chest up against her husband's. "Not that I've had the pleasure of seeing Lord Grey pluck the strings of a guitar. It's said he can produce the most beautiful of melodies."

"Really? And you don't think I have that same skill?" His hand settled on her right leg, and he hooked it around his hip, which caused Kenna to gasp again.

"As the Master of Horse and Hunt, you weren't exposed to all the mundane, bourgeoisie activities of French Court." She said teasingly, her breath hitching. She tilted her head up to kiss him but whined as he turned his head away, he wasn't going to make this easy for her.

He chuckled darkly as she pouted. "As the Master of Horse and Hunt, I think I know what my hands are capable of."

Kenna let out a snort of derision. "Oh, yes, hunting and stuffing wild animals is so enthralling."

"Isn't it?" He dipped his head to her neck and showered kisses up her ear and back down. "But that's not what I mean."

Kenna was reduced to means and gasps from his kisses. Her eyes were squeezed shut and her head was permanently leaned back against the wall. She knew she shouldn't be too loud, after all, they were still out in public. But when Bash is kissing her like that, and talking to her in that manner, she couldn't help it.

"What-" words were caught in her throat when Bash nipped at her collarbone. "What do you mean?"

His hand slipped under the expensive silk of her gown and travelled upwards to caress her inner thigh, until he was inches away from where she was aching for his touch. "I don't need to learn how to pluck a guitar when I can..." Without warning, he pushed the dampening material of her undergarments aside and shoved his fingers inside her.

"Oh God, Bash!" Kenna screamed out in pleasure, but Bash quickly quelled it with his lips. After a sensual kiss, he whispered into her ear. "That, my wife, is the most beautiful of melodies." He continued to plunge his calloused fingers in and out of her center, drawing out sharp gasps of air from his wife. Kenna tensed up at the sensations her husband brought her. He had touched her before, but certainly not with such roughness, which aroused her further. "Faster, Bash! Oh God!" She moaned as her husband obliged and rubbed her ever so insistently.

She was close, and she was adamant Bash knew it, too. But as her sighs and moans got louder, Bash slowed down his ministrations, as if wanting to torture her even more. "Bash, please..." She groaned and moved her hips to feel his fingers deep in her core, but to no avail.

He smiled at her as he touched her slowly; it was too unbearable for Kenna. She slammed her head back on the wall and tried to get her breathing back to normal.

"So, Kenna," Bash nipped softly on her earlobe as his breath tickled her ears. "Tell me more about Lord Grey."

She looked dazed as she asked, "Who?" She could vaguely recall the name, and she certainly couldn't put a face to it. All she could see, hear, smell, feel and think about was him, her husband.

Bash's smile widened at her response and released her hands from his grip. She immediately wound her arms around his neck and drew him in for a kiss. Her hands found themselves weaving into the hair on the nape of his neck, and tugged softly, earning a groan from Bash.

She pulled back a fraction to whisper, "Faster, please!" and resumed kissing him with such passion. Bash's other hand, which wasn't touching her, squeezed her behind and pulled her even closer to him. His fingers manipulated her so expertly that within a few moments, she was building up again. Bash, sensing that she was very close, inserted more fingers into her and sped up even more. Kenna broke the kiss and let go with a scream, which Bash muffled with his lips, so as not to let the guests hear.

Kenna, breathless, broke the kiss again and rested her head on the wall. Breathing heavily, she looked down and saw Bash smile, taking his hand from under her dress and lapping up her juices from his fingers. Watching him sent thrills coursing through her veins and she kissed him softly. When she tasted herself on his lips, she moaned and deepened the kiss, her hands making their way down his trousers and undoing the buttons. It wasn't long before his hardness sprang forth, and Bash groaned as she teased him through his undergarments.

It was then Bash had the sudden need to be in her. He was so determined to let her forget about the damned Lord Grey that he completely forgot about his own desires and focused solely on her. Waves of affection and something else bash couldn't place took over him as he grappled her hips. Sure, he had his needs. But right now, there was nothing more than he wanted than for Kenna to forget about Lord Grey completely.

"Perhaps we should take this to our chambers." He suggested in a guttural voice. A voice so unfocused on what he was saying because all he wanted was the feeling of being inside his beautiful wife. "The staircase leads to a door directly into the bathing room."

He grabbed Kenna's hand that was still toying with him and almost broke out into a sprint to their bed, but she stopped him and pulled him back by the trousers. "Nobody else knows of this stairway and where it leads to?"

Bash could only nod his head in affirmation as she took her time in unbuttoning his linen shirt, seductively looking him straight in the eye as she did so. Once she pushed the garment off his shoulders, she moved to take his trousers off, but Bash stopped her, for he realized that she had more layers than he did. So he untied the strings of her gown and slid it down her body so effortlessly, managing to remove her undergarments as well. Kenna was glad she chose to wear a simple gown without her corset, or it would have taken up so much time, and she needed to be with her husband now.

Bash took it upon himself to remove his trousers and his final piece of clothing. Once their clothes pooled around their feet, they stepped out of them before Bash backed Kenna up the wall and kissed her endlessly. She pulled him closer to her naked body and placed her hands on his shoulders, signalling him to lift her up and impale her centre with his hardened member. Kenna wrapped her legs behind his back and adjusted to his size, eliciting a soft grunt from Bash. He had a firm grip on her hips and didn't hesitate to start thrusting into her, using the wall to help hold her up.

"Now we can go up to our chambers." Kenna whimpered as Bash drove into her. Slowly, Bash turned and walked up the stairs, each step bringing him deeper and deeper into Kenna's core. Kenna wielded her hands around his back and held on to him, not being able to contain her moans as they ascended the stairway. The sensation this brought to the both of them was so profound that they were on the brink of letting go, but Bash willed himself to hold on as long as possible. Kenna, on the other hand, could not, and by the time they had reached the top of the stairs, she screamed out, "Bash!" as stars exploded behind her eyes.

As she rode out her high, Bash kissed her vigorously, kicking the door to their bathing room open and walking as fast as his legs could take him to their chambers. Once Kenna had recovered, she deliberately ground her hips on his, so he was fully sheathed by her centre, and growled at the feeling of her walls tightening on him. "You little minx."

She laughed and breathed out a moan when he moved his hands to grope her behind. They had finally made it to their chambers, and Bash wasted no time setting her down on their bed and pounded into her furiously. Kenna was reduced to screams of pleasure, the only thing she could manage to get out was, "God, Bash! Faster! Yes, right there!" as she dug her fingernails into his back when he hit a sensitive spot in her.

Bash, sensing she was so close to letting go, reached down and rubbed her furiously, all the while thrusting into her. He wanted to ensure that she would get to the edge before he did, and judging by her shallow breaths and increasingly loud moans, she would. Not long after, Kenna's walls clenched down on him and she came with a scream. Bash could not hold it any longer, and with one final thrust, he shuddered and spilled into her. "Oh God, Kenna!" His shoulders sunk and he collapsed beside her, taking care not to separate himself from her.

Kenna moved to lean her head on his chest, which was rising up and down heavily at his sporadic breathing. "Bash," her breath had just begun to even out as well, "you do know that Petyr doesn't harbour any feelings for me, right?"

"What?" Bash was still hazy from their activities, and he languidly wrapped his arms around her frame.

"All I'm trying to say is that he'd rather ogle at you than dare to even touch me like you did." She bit back a smile as her words started to sink into his understanding. It didn't take him long to react.

"I'm sorry? Did you just say what I think you said?" He looked at Kenna with bewildered eyes, this cannot be happening right now. "You just decided to tell me this now?"

"Well, you were being brash at the feast, I couldn't very well yell it out in front of all those people, imagine what they would say to him?"

"Alright, alright." Bash breathed deeply. He had never imagined the situation would turn around like this. "Wow, now I feel like an idiot for rudely interrupting your dance. I should go and apologize to him." He moved to get up from the bed, but Kenna stopped him with a hand on his chest.

"You could," she pushed him back down and climbed on top of him, smiling as he hardened inside her again. "Or we could stay here, and you can always apologize tomorrow."

"As you wish, my wife." He smiled back and threw his head back as she moved up and down in a fast rhythm, her breasts heaving. His last coherent thoughts before they lost themselves in one another is that he would never tire of being intimate with her and that he will never be able to get enough of her.

**A/N: Two consecutive chapters in one day, what?! 8 is a lucky number, so I decided our favourite pairing should get lucky ;) (wow, that was lame) I've never written this kind of story before, so please bear with my writing. Hope you liked this. Reviews are greatly appreciated! xx**


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